Explore the living history of the British Isles in this unparalleled compendium of kings, queens and rulers, which also traces the development of one of the finest architectural legacies in Europe from earliest times to the present day. The book begins with a magnificently illustrated history of the kings and queens of Britain, the rulers and the royal pretenders, revealed in photographs, contemporary paintings, cartoons and drawings, royal family trees and topical maps. This is the story of royalty in Britain from the legend of King Arthur and the Murder of the Princes in the Tower to the Abdication Crisis of 1936, and the life of Princess Diana. The encyclopedic format means that more than 100 individual biographies are quickly accessed, with information on every British dynasty, including the rulers of Scotland, as well as the pretenders to the throne, usurpers and regents who played a role in the making of the United Kingdom. The second part of the book focuses on some of the most important and dramatic historic sites in Britain and Ireland, from Castle Coole and the Broch of Gumess to Tintagel Castle and Blickling Hall. All the finest buildings are included from the great Norman castles of Dover and Chepstow, and Sir Christopher Wren's royal palaces at Hampton Court and Kensington, to the more modern masterpieces of Chatsworth House, Castle Howard, Syon House, and the restoration of Eilean Donan Castle and Clandon Park in modern times.